2001 – With smoke still rising from the ruins of the World Trade Center in New York, the United States and its military allies launch the first retaliatory attacks of Operation Enduring Freedom with a series of airstrikes on Afghanistan.
NBC Nightly News footage from October 7, 2001: America Strikes Back
1959 – Luna 3, a Soviet space probe, transmits the first photos of the dark side of the Moon ever captured.
1933 – Air France is founded, merging France’s five largest airlines: Air Orient, Air Union, Compagnie Générale Aéropostale, Compagnie Internationale de Navigation Aérienne (CIDNA), and Société Générale de Transport Aérien (SGTA). Coincidentally, it is 14 years to the day after the founding of KLM, with whom Air France would merge in 2004.
1919 – KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is born, making them the oldest airline still operating under the same name. Here is a collection of photos to commemorate their years of service.